Our Own Photo Studio, Part XII

HIGHWAY TO HELL

It was late Spring 1979 at our photo studio in New York City. I had already decided to leave the business and start a new Little Adventure producing travel guides, but I still came in when needed. By now, my partner Jim Houghton and his assistant were doing all of the photography and I mostly took care of business matters. One of our best clients was Atlantic Records, for whom we've done dozens of album covers over the years. This time their head art director, Bob Defrin, had a hot new assignment for us.

The Australian hard rock group AC/DC was about to break big in America, and they needed a rear cover for their new album "Highway to Hell." The band's name, by the way, refers to the different types of electricity and to the "High Voltage" of their stage performances — not to what nasty minds might think. The front cover was also done by our studio, but over a year earlier for the group's "Powerage" album. In the end, a different choice was used for that record and the December 1977 photo with the devil's horns put on the front cover of "Highway To Hell."

My contribution to this was strictly in the lighting, in which I created just enough of a highlight on the grey background to separate them from it and yet retain a "dark" feeling. The horns on guitarist Angus Young's head, by the way, were later airbrushed on, as was his devil's tail. Now, these guys looked pretty scary, but they were actually a delight to work with! Jim took the photo on Ektachrome film with a Hasselblad 500EL camera equipped with an 80mm Planar lens, using a  single Balcar studio strobe, umbrella reflector and a Calumet generator.

The 1979 rear cover involved advance planning and arrangements. This was to be shot at night on a dark highway with the smoky fires of Hell behind them. Where to find an abandoned highway close to Manhattan? Why, Staten Island, of course. The Mayor's Office for Film Production helped on this by arranging for us to use a closed section of road that was under construction.

That night we all boarded a rental location van and headed for Brooklyn, then across the Verrazano Narrows Bridge to the unfinished West Shore Expressway. The band members were all excited about seeing the famous sights along the way.

Our Balcar strobe lights and the rented smoke machines were powered by our Honda location generator. Jim used various cameras; the final shot was probably from a Nikon F2 loaded with Tri-X B&W film, although the picture could be a bit deceptive and may actually be a color conversion made to look like a full-frame B&W print. Looking back, I think that we should have used more lights behind the smoke.

"Highway to Hell" is the album that firmly established AC/DC's place in the rock world, at least in America, where it reached #17 on the charts. The group was formed in 1973 in Sydney, Australia, by Malcolm and Angus Young, two brothers who had immigrated there from Glasgow, Scotland at an early age. They are still going strong, and Angus still sports his trademark schoolboy uniform.

THIS ENTRY HAS BEEN REWRITTEN IN AUGUST 2009 TO CORRECT A SERIOUS ERROR IN THE ORIGINAL POST, AS NOTED IN THE COMMENTS SECTION BELOW. THANKS FOR THE CORRECTION, GUYS.

 

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And CLICK HERE to read the whole thing and more in French on a spectacular AC/DC fan website in France.

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Comments

[Dave]

Thanks for sharing your memories of this photo shoot with AC/DC. However, I happen to know a little about the photo that appears on the front cover of the Highway To Hell LP. The photo that appears on the cover was taken by Jim Houghton in New York City, but not at the time of the photo on the back cover of the LP. The front cover photo was taken in December, 1977! A series of photos with 2 different colored backgrounds were taken of the band at this time, and one group photo from this photo shoot was used for the back cover of the Powerage LP. Another photo from this photo shoot was eventually used for the Highway To Hell LP cover. Yes, the devil horns and tail were airbrushed on to the photo, but like I mentioned above, this photo was actually taken in December, 1977. The back cover photo was indeed taken at the time you stated. I have a friend that purchased a slew of slides from Perry Cooper, former A&R for Atlantic Records, and these pictures were of this photo shoot. They, of couurse were the unused photos. Also, you know the front and back cover photos from the Highway To Hell LP were from different times just by looking at the length of Malcolm Young's hair!

Thank's again for your story! Feel free to contact me if you'd like!

Let there be rock!

Dave

Thank you for clarifying that. Memory of dates seems to have failed a bit after 30 years, but I clearly remember both sittings and got the dates mixed up. Again, thank you.

Earl

[Tim]

I have seen another version of the back cover picture. Phil Rudd's shirt had the "Powerage" album cover logo on it. Airbrushed out for the version used on "Highway to Hell".

I have also seen a version of the cover photo without the horns and tail. Looking closely at this version, Angus's eyes are almost closed (you cannot see any whites of his eyes or pupils). On the HTH cover, you can see the white and pupils. These must also have been added correct me if I am wrong.

[Dan Davie]

The back shot was also airbrushed, as drummer Phil Rudd (2nd from left)was wearing a black tour T-shirt from the bands 'Powerage' tour in '78. Its bold white lettering has been taken out.

Dan Davie (Boned)

[bauer]

hi
any idea where it s possible to buy an original print of the cover photo of highway to hell ?
thanks

[Arnaud]

Hi Earl,

The Link for the french website is not good, here's the new Link :

http://www.acdcbackinblack.net/article-1-2007-review-d-une-pochette-par-son-createur.html

Best Regards

Arnaud

[Kirk]

Where did the texture on the grey background come from? was it already made with the backdrop used, or was it added later?

[Earl Steinbicker]

The Highway to Hell cover was shot against an ordinary grey background paper. Later, the record company had it heavily retouched, so heavily airbrushed in fact that it is almost a painting. Incidentally, it was an outake from an earlier session for the Powerage album. The back cover photo was supposed to be the front cover for HTH, but that was just not as effective.

[judson]

i would love to know where, if anywhere, one could legally get their hands on the original b&w shot in studio without the retouching or logos baked in. this truly iconic shot says as much about rock and roll attitude as any album.

[Earl Steinbicker]

Those photos of AC/DC are the property of Atlantic Records and are copyrighted by them. I left the business a few months after these were taken and have not had contact with any of the people involved in about 30 years. I suggest you contact the record company or AC/DC themselves, who may be able to help.